Clone: Lyoko
by Janika
Summary: XANA is sure he's got it right this time. His new Pawn will surely decimate the gang's force and hand victory over to him...but did he count on his creation's personality? 8th episode
1. A Twosome

**_Post-production note: I don't want any complaints about "it wasn't like that in the show" b/c I based this only on what I learned during season 1._**

**8-1: A Twosome**

**Overview: X.A.N.A. has been attacking our heroes using what he calls Pawns who have elemental powers, but there is a flaw in his calculations: his meddling has resulted in the gang receiving their powers too. So far Odd has his Anticipation and Janika has her Bloodlust, plus Jeremy has discovered his ability to talk with girls trapped on Lyoko, but who will be next?**

(((-1-)))

X.A.N.A. scowled unconsciously. Nothing was going as planned. His Pawns had both been defeated as they were about to destroy the Warriors, but had ultimately failed.

What had gone wrong? X.A.N.A. never should have been forced to make a second one, yet now he was finishing completion on a third!

The Warriors were gaining strength somehow through a miscalculation on his part. _No!_ He could not have made a mistake! His own programming was flawless. The AI had meddled with it, surely. The creature was becoming more of a nuisance every day.

Perhaps _that_ was it! The program Aelita must be deleted at all costs.

(V)

Odd hummed loudly along with the music from his CD player while taking bites out of a sticky ball of melted gummy worms. He was definitely engrossed and it was grossing Ulrich out.

"Do you even know how long you've had those things under your bed?"

The blonde shrugged, uninterested. "Don't know. Don't care. They taste good." His eyes widened and he pulled one out of his mouth. "Except this one. It tastes like a piece of string."

"It is a piece of string, Odd," Ulrich muttered and then jumped aside as his friend tossed it at him. "Hey! Cut it out, man. That's totally disgusting. How can you _swallow_ that stuff without getting nauseous?"

"Like this." The shorter boy gulped loudly. He cranked up the volume on his headphones and then started singing the lyrics of the song out loud and off-key.

The dark-haired boy moaned and covered his face. "Why me? Why_ me?_" He stood up as there came a knock on their door. "_Please_ let this be someone from the psycho ward," he prayed.

Janika smiled cheerily when he peered out. "Hi, Ulrich! Is that Odd I hear?"

"Take him, _please!_ He's driving me crazy and I need to get my homework done. He always does this to me on Saturdays."

"I'll get him out of your hair. Hey Odd, weren't you…" She blinked and her mouth quirked into a slight smile as she caught sight of him dancing on his bed in his boxers and a T-shirt. "Ummm…"

Ulrich rolled his eyes and tackled his roommate, taking off the earphones and shouting, "Quit listening to music and get dressed! Janika's here!"

"_What?_" Odd yelled. He was still hard of hearing from the rock song he'd been blasting carelessly into his ears.

"**_Janika is here!_**" he bellowed deafeningly.

The blonde finally turned around and saw Janika staring at him passively. He laughed and threw the melted lump of gooey worms on his dresser. "What are you doing here?"

"You were supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago. Just put something decent on and let's get going!" she snapped tersely. "You _don't_ want to make me mad, Odd."

"Okay, okay, gee whiz!" He rolled his eyes before grabbing a pair of pants. "It's not like you never wear anything skimpy. Your outfit on Lyoko doesn't leave much to the imagination, you know."

"That's no excuse for you, panther-boy! I'm cute and furry. You, on the other hand, are not. Truthfully, I always thought you looked a bit fruity. Don't you have any other clothes besides those tacky things?"

"Hey! _Now_ it's getting personal!" He tossed a balled-up towel at her as he finished dressing. "If you insult my wardrobe I'll make sure you regret it." A fiendish gleam sparkled in his eye. "I have _ways_ of making you miserable."

"Whatever. Bye, Ulrich! See you later." Odd followed her as she ambled down the hall. The dark-haired boy heard them talking as they left. "You told me last night that you were going to be ready _first thing_ in the morning."

"Oh yeah, the…the thing. We were going to go there. Whatever it was. Something important. Or really good. Or…er…something important?"

"The art show, Dumbo."

He snapped his fingers. "That was it!"

"You said you'd give your kidneys to go."

"That was before I knew what kidneys were. Now I know I need them. Jeremy bothered to explain it to me last night." Her laugh echoed in the hallway. "See! It _is_ possible to break through your stony armor, O mighty Warrior Queen!"

"Just for you."

Their voices faded away as they went downstairs and Ulrich rubbed his temples. At least he could spend the rest of the morning doing his work in peace. He had just turned back to look at his work when someone tapped on his open door.

Oh, if only, if only.

"I don't want to talk to you," he growled. "Just go away and leave me alone, Sissy."

The most popular girl in school was hardly daunted by her dismissal. "If you haven't forgotten, we need to do a project together."

"I'm _not _going to pretend to be your husband. I never agreed to do that."

"Well, _your _signature just so _happens _to be on the sign-up sheet and the teacher said it was a good idea, so get ready and we'll begin our first day as husband and wife!" she almost squealed in excitement.

Ulrich stood up and tried to close the door in her face. "Sorry Sissy, but I'm filing for divorce right now. I'd rather get an F than pretend to be your husband."

She put her foot in the door and pushed it open, her eyes becoming angry. "Nobody says 'no' to me!" the black-haired girl spat.

"Well, you'd better get used to it because the day I go along with you is the day I commit suicide. Now go _away!_"

He finally managed to slam the door. He banged his fist down so hard on his desk that the picture frames fell over. "She drives me absolutely _crazy!_ I wish there was some way to take care of her so that I…whoa!"

Ulrich staggered, suddenly feeling nauseous. He leaned heavily against his chair and nearly blacked out. As it was, when the world finally came back into view, he couldn't stand up and walk very well. His legs felt like rubber and his hands weren't much better. They would hardly grasp anything.

"What's wrong with me?" he wondered.

(V)

Sissy stormed down the hallway, muttering curses under her breath and kicking the wall. "Suicide! I'll teach him to threaten me with suicide! Someday I'll die of a broken heart and my tombstone will read 'I died for lack of love, Ulrich, you stupid lump of half-baked, garlic-breathing—'" she stopped in mid-sentence as she heard a door open. "Ulrich!"

Her composure changed in a split-second as he walked toward her. He looked strange, but she didn't care. Maybe he was reconsidering her offer!

The handsome dark-haired boy stopped in front of her. "Sissy," he said slowly. His voice was odd, as though he was hypnotized or something. "You drive me crazy. Is there some way I can take care of you?"

The girl's heart almost stopped. "Oh, Ulricky! I knew you had feelings for me!" She flew into his arms and latched on like a leech. "We can do the project together and everything! Come on, there's a lot of work to do."

She began dragging Ulrich's clone away while the real Ulrich lay in his room, too weak to realize what had just happened.

**New poll! I need a good name for this one. I'll change it and give the best suggestioner a dedication! I just want a cool name. It doesn't even have to have anything to do w/ the plot.**


	2. To Odd, Untrue

**8-2: To Odd, Untrue**

**This chappie is dedicated (once again) to Dantheman since he seems to have all the good names. And LegoMan727, since you're (hopefully) a new reviewer, this one belongs to you as well.**

(((-2-)))

The art show was held in the gym and a ton of people were crowding the place trying to view all the students' work. Not only was this Kadic's work, but also four other schools in the city. Janika dragged Odd through the milling throng over to several paintings on the far side.

"Remember that one?" she asked, pointing.

He stared at it incomprehensibly. "Well…er…"

"That's the one you messed up last week when you dipped my braid into the paint and started flailing around with it," she said through gritted teeth.

Odd tugged at the collar of his shirt. "It's kinda hot in here. Are you sure you don't want to go outside? I'll buy you something from the snack machine."

She laughed and slapped him on the back, nearly bowling her friend over. "Just kidding! I don't really mind. See what you did to it? I was trying to make it a bunny and your meddling made it look like a really cool, gruesome skull." She paused, eyes narrowing. "But you still owe me 5 bucks for the shampoo I wasted trying to clean my hair. The stuff still isn't completely out."

The blonde teenager glanced down at her long braid and bit his lip when he saw a slight tinge of discolored paint dusting the last four inches. "It's not that bad, really. At least the skull turned out okay."

"Neon pink skulls aren't exactly prize material, Odd. Especially with flowers in their teeth." She sidled closer. "Well, it's not like I care all that much anyway."

A small purr came from her throat as she was about to give him a kiss on the cheek, but stopped and started gagging instead. For a second he thought that she was trying to cough up a hairball. But then Janika nearly threw Odd out of her way as she strode toward the entrance. He tagged along, wondering what had gotten into her.

She stopped halfway there and pointed toward Jim who was handing out programs about the show. "Tell me who you see talking to him."

Odd looked and started gagging too. "What is _Ulrich_ doing with _Sissy!_ He doesn't even look like he minds being so close to her!" He happened to peek back toward the entrance and nearly swallowed his tongue. "Um…Janika, can you excuse me for a moment? I think I'd better give Yumi a call and tell her about this little _occurrence_."

"Go for it. I'll keep an eye on them."

He sneaked across the gym until he approached the person he had seen coming in with a small group of girls.

"Hey, Samantha," Odd's voice cracked.

"Nice outfit," one of the girls with short-cropped hair snickered. "I thought Halloween was over a few months back."

"Hi," the dark-skinned girl said with a smile, ignoring her friend's comment. Then she gave him a peck on the cheek. The three girls made smooching noises behind their hands.

Odd pushed her lightly away, shooting a glance back over his shoulder to see if any girls with long brown braids had seen.

"Don't do that!"

"Do what?" she demanded haughtily. "This?"

She grabbed him and plastered one on his lips this time. Her friends whistled. Luckily Janika was only focused on Ulrich and Sissy.

He thrust her away more forcefully. "Cut it out!"

"What? Are you afraid your little _friend_ will see?" she asked, eyebrows raised skeptically. The others grinned as if he was a dope. "I had you first, Odd. Whoever your new girl is, she can't compete with _me_."

"You treated me like trash, Samantha!" he snapped. "You said we could be boy- and girlfriend, then you went off and cheated on me on the _first day!_"

She looked like a picture of innocence. "I explained that, Odd. _He_ groped _me_ while I was cornered up against a wall. What was I supposed to do?"

"Just get out of here!" he couldn't keep from snarling.

"Hey, Sam, you'd better keep a leash on your dog. It looks like he's getting frisky," a black girl with short, pinched braids chuckled behind her.

Odd clenched his fists. "You were never anything but trouble for me. Look, I'm not with you anymore, so you can just forget that. Go scam somebody else because I'm not falling for it again."

Samantha's expression grew dark. "I'm not going anywhere. This is an art show and I came to see the art, not you. Now let me see what sort of pathetic imaginations your classmates have. C'mon, girls."

She walked past, deliberately shoving him into the wall. Odd watched her go into the maze of makeshift plywood walls full of artwork before darting back over to Janika where she was still spying on the freaky pair.

"What did Yumi say?" she wondered.

"Huh? Oh, that! Um, I went to the snack machine instead. I didn't think telling her would be the best thing to do."

She rolled her eyes. "All you ever think about is your stomach. Well, they're not doing anything. Ulrich isn't really talking to her. He's just following her around. Come on, let's try to get closer."

(V)

Samantha steamed as she looked blankly at the artwork. Finally she slipped away from her friends in the network of walls and then acted like she had dropped something, getting down on her knees to "search" for it. She caught sight of Odd's very identifiable shoes and another pair beside them from beneath the plywood walls just a couple rows over. That was his girl for sure.

She would teach him to dump her! All she needed to do was get close to Odd and Miss Size-5, then be the picturesque clingy girlfriend figure. They did it in romance movies all the time. Why couldn't she?

As Samantha was getting up off her knees, the plug of a lamp shining on an unusual drawing of a girl that looked a lot like a cheetah sparked and fizzled. The girl with red highlights backed away, wondering if it would catch anything on fire. Smoke curled up from the socket.

Odd's former girlfriend was swamped by the gas and fell over, feeling herself pulled away into an oblivion…

(V)

Yumi, Jeremy, and Aelita were walking in the park when suddenly the boy in glasses came up short. He stopped and cocked his head as if listening while the two girls continued chatting, their voices washing over him.

Finally he refocused and glanced at his friends. "You two didn't just hear someone say anything nearby, did you?"

Yumi shrugged. "Like what?"

He paused and then reconsidered. "Nothing. It's okay. Let's just get to the art show and support Janika in her moment of triumph."

"Yep. It's not every day one of us gets the nomination for Best of Show. She said the picture was a surprise, though. Do you think it'll be anything remotely connected to us?" Yumi asked with a wink. "Why else would she keep it a secret?"

"Let's go find out," Aelita broke in. She raced ahead and the others were forced to run to keep up with her.

They had just reached the gym and gotten programs from Jim when Yumi halted, shocked. She gaped, eyes bugging out as Ulrich—_her _Ulrich!—came waltzing out of the crowded jungle of art with Sissy attached to him like a bloodsucking tick!

**Not bad, huh? Well, you guys can probably tell that I'm not too fond of Samantha, after all I have to compete w/ her for Odd's attention. How about this poll: how useful would Aelita really be if they didn't need her to shut down the towers?**


	3. Horthe

**8-3: Horthe**

**Thanks to my online boyfriend I have pretty much come up with the complete outline for this story. Hopefully my rabid mice won't get jealous and attack him. They're very protective of me.**

(((-3-)))

The Pawn by the name of Horthe stood up in Samantha's body unsteadily. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the pungent scents of paint, pastel, dust, rubber, sweat, and everything else all around her. It smelled so wonderful!

"_You have your orders,"_ her Master's voice echoed powerfully in her mind. _"Do it and I shall let you live."_

She nodded happily, glad to be doing the Master's bidding. The dark-skinned girl sauntered down the aisle, breathing in the smells of paintings hanging on the plywood walls. They were so rich and copious! Oh, if only she could spend more time around them.

Horthe caught sight of some students that looked almost familiar. She felt as though she knew them from someplace, but no other information was in her databanks. Well, she had her orders and would carry them out willingly.

Oooh! This one smelled like something she could eat. Mmmmm… She touched her tongue to the paper and instantly spit out the chalky substance. Tasting things was weird. She didn't like it.

Hey, wait! That person near the door…the one with pink hair…she was the one!

(V)

Yumi groped for something to say, but her mind was blank. All she could do was stare at them as they walked over to one of the tables off to the side and sat down together. _Together_.

Jeremy was too busy explaining art to Aelita to notice and Aelita herself was busy trying to figure out what the purpose of the clay sculptures were. She pointed at one and read the label out loud.

"'Michael, my True Love.' What does that mean?" she asked, fingering the head and shoulders of the figurine.

"It's just something this girl did to…uh…she wanted to show this guy that he was…erm…special to her." His arm snaked around her shoulders and she glanced at him quizzically. He removed it. "Uh, well…you want to go look at Janika's art?"

She nodded and they entered the art show's maze, Yumi trailing silently behind. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize where she was going until she bumped into someone standing with his back to them.

"Oh, sorry," she mumbled looking up, then she froze.

Ulrich stood there, staring at her as if he didn't know who she was. "Hello. Where is the one called Sissy?" he said slowly in a voice that didn't sound like his own.

Yumi screeched in anger and slapped his face as hard as she could, throwing him into a wall. It wobbled dangerously and some paintings fluttered to the ground. Jeremy and Aelita turned around to see her standing over Ulrich and shaking with fury.

"I'm going home," she said through gritted teeth. Before anyone could say anything, she darted away, slipping through crowds and heading for the door. Tears blurred her vision and she felt that she had been betrayed. She crossed the park, heading for the exit to the grounds.

"Yumi, what's wrong?" Ulrich asked, catching up with her.

The black-haired girl turned around coldly and gave him another slap. He staggered back, eyes wide. "What was _that_ for?"

"Don't play innocent with me! You know very well what you did! You have the gall to go play with Sissy, then ask me about her, and _then_ deny it to my face!" She tried to whack his cheek again, but he caught her arm.

"I did not! I told Sissy to shove it when she came to my room this morning, that's it! The whole thing about a play-marriage was something _she _came up with and _she_ forged my signature on the sign-up sheet. I had nothing to do with it."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ulrich, but I'm not going to put up with any of it anymore. Whatever we were, we're through now. Let me go!" She struggled in his grasp, but he wouldn't release her.

"Stop it, Yumi. You're really starting to freak me out. Now just calm down and tell me what the problem is," he tried to reason with her.

The Japanese girl punched him in the stomach and raced away while he was on his knees doubled over.

(V)

Jeremy helped Ulrich to his feet. "What did you do to make her slap you?" he asked, brushing his friend's shirt off.

Ulrich just stood there looking at him. "Where is Sissy?"

"_What! _Is that what you said to her? Gee, no wonder she smacked you. What do you want with Sissy anyway?"

"I need to take care of her," he said slowly.

Aelita stepped past the blonde boy and took hold of Ulrich's shoulders. "Ulrich? Is that you?"

"No," he replied after a moment.

She nodded. "I think we have our answer, Jeremy. He's—"

"Look out!" Jeremy yelled as he dove on top of the pink-haired girl. The breath was knocked from her lungs as she slammed into the cement floor beneath his weight. Something crashed and shattered behind them where she had been standing. Aelita recognized it as one of the larger clay sculptures.

"Samantha?" Jeremy said doubtfully as he got off his friend, obviously shocked and also embarrassed about being on top of Aelita.

The girl with black hair with several red highlights in it smiled cunningly at the end of the row. Some other girls joined her. "Hey, Sam, you don't have to break everything just because your art didn't get first place."

She looked at them confusedly. "Mine?"

"Yeah. That bowl right there," another girl pointed at some of the pottery.

"Oh, okay." She picked it up and pitched that one at Aelita.

Jeremy ducked, but the pink-haired girl was too slow! She screamed, but without any warning, the clone leaped forward to stand in the way of the flying object. The bowl hit it in the chest and its cry was half-formed when it vanished in a puff of smoke. Everyone gasped.

"What did you do to him?" The girls behind Samantha looked frightened.

Samantha herself only smiled with a playfulness that made her seem like a little girl. "I didn't expect that. Oh, and my name is Horthe, not Sam or Samantha." She advanced on Aelita, full of purpose. "And now I think I'll just destroy the program."

Her eyes glowed, rose-colored.

Jeremy thought fast. His foot shot out and kicked the wood bracing the plywood wall beside him and then he yanked the corner toward him. The heavy wall groaned as its support vanished. Horthe barely had enough time to turn her head before the panel collapsed on top of her!

Samantha's friends were caught by the wall beside it that had been dragged down also. Jeremy's action created a chain-reaction that resulted in all the walls going down like dominoes. He yanked Aelita to her feet and tried to escape the disintegrating maze. They barely made it out in time.

So there they were, standing outside the mess of strewn art and collapsed plywood walls surrounded by about two hundred surprised and angry people, some of which were caught in the ruins.

Odd and Janika ran over to them. "What just happened?" the teenager in purple wondered as he looked with amazement at the destruction. "Don't tell me _you _did this!"

"We have a problem," Jeremy muttered.

Before he could say anything else, a colossal wind tore through the gym, throwing posters and pictures around and blowing clothing about. The wind intensified and centered around one area in the fallen jumble of dividers.

The children covered their faces to keep the flying sand and grit out of their eyes. The wood was thrown forcefully away and any walls that had survived the mass-breakdown were instantly added to the heap.

People screamed and cowered, most of them headed for the door. But several could not help watching as a girl rose from the rubble supported only by the air, coal black hair flaring out accenting her gleaming eyes the color of bright coral.

But even more shocking to Jeremy than the fact that she was flying was the way she was laughing, as if she'd just been given a piece of candy. He couldn't help wondering what sort of person she was.

**The new poll is: If Sissy was personified by one of X.A.N.A.'s monsters, which one would it be and why?**


	4. New Ally

**8-4: New Ally**

**The poll answers: Sissy got 1 vote each for Krab and Megatank, then 2 for Roachster, and the winner was…a Hornet at 4 ballots! Okay, now beware b/c this chapter is a little freaky. I will allow flamers just this once b/c I think I might deserve it.**

(((-4-)))

Ulrich rubbed his stomach as he watched Yumi dash away. He was still shaky from passing out earlier and then she had to go and nearly make him puke up his breakfast. Talk about girls being an enigma! At least Aelita wasn't this bad. Hopefully. Maybe he should start worrying about Jeremy.

He stood up and went inside, hoping Sissy wouldn't be there. No. Such. Luck.

She waltzed up to him with snaky grace, batting her eyes at him with a sigh. "I'm glad you're being _so _amiable this morning, Ulrich." She glanced at his empty hands. "Where's my soda? You said you'd go get one."

The brown-haired boy stared at her like she was crazy. And then someone approached them. Ulrich turned and stared dumbly at an exact duplicate of himself. Then he understood what had happened and smiled.

Sissy, on the other hand, was not taking it so well. "You…he…I…" she stuttered, her eyes darting between the Ulrich at her side and the one holding a soda. She looked like she might be sick.

"What's the matter, Sissy? Haven't you ever seen a clone before?" he smirked.

She staggered back a few steps, her face pale.

Ulrich was definitely one to take advantage of a good situation. He widened his eyes and grimaced. "Boo."

She freaked, throwing her arms up and fleeing in the opposite direction. Ulrich watched with satisfaction as his enemy tore away, screaming her head off. He had just turned to his double when he saw the plywood walls full of student artwork suddenly begin toppling to the ground!

He caught sight of the gang on the other side of the gym and was about to join them, but then he remembered the clone standing behind him waiting patiently for his orders.

"Fusion," he whispered, concentrating on becoming one person.

Another girl screamed as she saw what appeared to be a pair of identical twins blend together into one person. And then a wind picked up.

It blew everything about and people started running for the exit, yelling, "It's safer outside!" Ulrich caught sight of what looked like Samantha as she rose out from the heap of fallen walls supported by nothing at all! Her eyes glowed with a pinkish radiance and she was laughing hysterically.

"What the—? Oh no, not another one!"

The place was emptying quickly. There were almost no people left.

Horthe gestured wildly and the wind streaked toward his friends! It was so strong that they were blown off their feet and tossed like rag dolls into the gym wall. Aelita was held there by cushions of air, unable to move and hardly able to breathe. Her eyes bulged as she gaped for a lungful of air.

"Triplicate!" His two clones appeared on either side of him. "Protect Aelita!" he panted, pointing at the girl held against the wall. He didn't black out this time, but it sure felt like Yumi punched him in the stomach again.

Perhaps his copies weren't very good at thinking, but they were definitely good at reacting to what was happening around them. They both ran at Horthe as she floated close to Aelita, tackling her from behind.

Wind rushed past and the pink-haired girl fell to the ground, coughing for breath. Jeremy grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet. Odd was standing over Janika where she laid by the wall. He seemed to be talking to her, not too close, though.

Horthe seemed to panicking. The clones weren't going easy on her and she didn't appear to have any idea how to handle them. Ulrich himself joined them and managed to get his arm across her throat. He felt himself lifted off the ground, still hanging onto the Pawn with all his might, which wasn't much considering he felt like barfing.

One of the clones lost its hold and plummeted to the ground, vanishing in a puff of vapor. Ulrich felt a little of his strength return and tightened his grip on Horthe's neck while trying very hard not to look down. They were at a dizzying height.

Her eyes bugged out and she clawed at his hands, trying to catch a breath. He felt it was right to do the same thing to her that she did to Aelita. The other clone lost his grip too and Ulrich winced as he saw his own expression before it hit the floor and disappeared.

Well, at least he felt better. Slightly. Watching yourself "die" wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

Horthe reached back and grabbed his shirt, trying to dislodge him, but he scooted one hand up and covered her eyes. She went wild, spinning and flying erratically in the air while screaming, "This isn't the way to play! Stop it!"

He saw the steel rafter coming up and only had enough time to let out a half-formed cry when he and the Pawn slammed into it!

(V)

X.A.N.A. gasped in shock. The connection with his underling had been showing him her tirade through the Pawn's eyes. It wasn't so bad, if performed in a playful manner. After all, she had been so close to deleting the AI!

But now the connection was completely gone. There was not even a glimmer of their former link. It was as if Horthe had… Was the term "died"?

Then he needed to work quickly. The Warriors were onto him, doubtless. They would proceed to the factory and then to Lyoko. He had to conceive a new plan and execute it before they arrived.

Hmmm… Perhaps this would distract them until he could come up with a way to defend his tower effectively.

(V)

Odd tried to calm Janika down, but with a broken arm, that was impossible. She had triggered her Bloodlust except that she was in pain and scared, which meant she struck at him with her good hand, yowling and screeching in a fearful, protective, feline way.

He heard Ulrich start to yell from above as the idiot was hanging onto Horthe. The blonde kid looked up just in time to see his best buddy and his former girlfriend (or whatever) collide with a steel beam!

He was on his feet beside Aelita and Jeremy as they ran forward in panic. "Ulrich!" the pink-haired girl screamed.

A wind blew in through the windows and caught both children as they fell, cushioning their fall onto the debris of what remained of the art show. The three teenagers looked at each other in confusion, then scrambled to reach their heroic or maybe stupid comrade. He was alive and not too badly hurt, being mostly winded (weird enough for crashing into a beam).

Aelita was the one to notice that Horthe was staring at them in bewilderment. The Pawn stood up unsteadily and they tensed, but she brought a hand up to touch her head. It came away wet with blood. She stared at it, seemingly unable to grasp what she was looking at.

"It…hurts…" None of them were quite sure what to think when she looked up and said suddenly, "So, how are we going to defeat X.A.N.A.?"

Odd opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly his eyes glazed over. Aelita had taken refuge behind Jeremy, but when she saw the look in her other friend's face, she knew he was experiencing his Anticipation. Slowly he came back to himself.

Walking casually up to Horthe, he held out his hand. "Welcome to the gang. We might really need your help when we get to the factory." The others stared at him as if he had grown horns. "It's okay, you two. She's an ally. I saw it. Will one of you help me out with Janika? I think maybe she needs a tranquilizer or something."

Horthe gave them all a warm, friendly smile.

(V)

X.A.N.A. cackled evilly. He knew they would never be able to bypass something like this. It was foolproof! With the Auto-Self-Destruct code he could rid himself of the AI forever! No matter that his Pawn had been defeated through carelessness. He would be victorious this day.

**Did you guys expect that? Huh huh huh? Okay: what would be a fitting fate for someone like Samantha? (the real one, not the Pawn)  
****PS: Summer begins for me today, so I might not update for a while, but I look forward to finishing this story before school starts up again. Bye and lovies to all (especially Dan)!**


	5. Flying High

**8-5: Flying High**

**I have a job now, so my chapters may be coming slower than ever for a while. At least I managed to finish this one w/ a little help… (makes goo-goo eyes at a certain cute internet boyfriend) Read and enjoy.**

(((-5-)))

Janika turned out to be too wild with pain to reason with, so the gang was forced to leave her behind. Odd objected strongly to abandoning their friend until Jeremy explained that there would be nothing they could do for her unless they fixed the Tower, which would probably be easier if he came along.

They managed to sneak through the baffled crowd outside and into the park without getting caught by anyone. Jeremy tried to contact Yumi, but she wouldn't answer her phone. Odd whispered to Horthe for a few minutes and she smiled agreeably before lifting off from the ground and flying away with a happy little aerial twist.

The others looked at him. "Okay, exactly what did you just do?" Ulrich asked.

"I gave her directions to Yumi's house. We'll probably need her on Lyoko and this is the quickest way to get hold of her."

"You know," Aelita started. "Odd, you seem to be placing a lot of trust in her. Why is that?"

He suddenly looked nervous. "It's just that…I had a vision and, well…you see things you can't really describe and they don't make any sense, but you know that if that person isn't there, the whole thing will fall apart and we'll lose."

They blinked.

"So…you're saying that without her we won't be able to defeat X.A.N.A.," the computer whiz clarified.

"Yeah. Look, let's just get going. We can trust her to take care of Yumi. C'mon! She's our ally. The worst thing Horthe could do is startle her."

(V)

The Pawn took in the assorted scents of Earth, musing at the differences and variations. How beautiful and singular they all were. Even things that were the same did not smell completely alike. It almost made her want to cry for joy at the wonder of it all.

What a pleasure it would be to live here! Humans were so blessed. Why were they always looking around as if they were bored when there was so much splendor surrounding them?

Horthe found Yumi's house easily. The window was open and she was sitting alone in her room, dressed in a very skimpy outfit. She wondered why humans wore such strange things as she flew down and hovered just outside.

The Japanese girl was drying her wet hair with a towel and muttering angrily to herself, "The nerve! The absolute _gall _of him to go play with her and then act like nothing happened! Well, _I'll_ give him something to think about! Before I'm done with him, he'll be begging for me to—_Samantha!_"

Horthe smiled and floated inside at which point Yumi _really_ went crazy, screaming and dashing about. "The gang is waiting for us. Aren't you coming? Odd didn't give me directions, so you'll have to tell me where to go."

But Yumi continued to scream as she rushed for the door. Horthe felt that perhaps this human did not entirely understand her motives. A strong breeze pushed Yumi back from the wall and the dark-skinned girl caught her arm.

"Quit fooling around. We have to defeat X.A.N.A. and the others couldn't get hold of you to ask you to come. Odd told me to get you."

She continued to struggle, but at the mention of her friend she grew quieter. Her hand snaked out to snag a small bag with clothing inside as she was dragged toward the exit, but before they could reach it the door burst open and two Japanese adults stormed in!

What Yumi's parents saw was an unusual girl with colored windblown hair dragging their precious daughter (dressed only in her unmentionables) toward the window in an attempt to throw her out!

The woman screamed and fell back, scared stiff, but her father surged forward in a panicked rush to rescue his little girl.

Horthe was too quick. She jumped out the window, dragging Yumi with her as billowing columns of air lifted them swiftly into the sky. The black-haired girl looked back and saw her father's bewildered expression before they were too far away. She held onto the Pawn, nearly digging her fingernails in.

"I hate heights!" she yelled over the wind as they soared higher. Her face was turning green already.

The dark-skinned girl laughed aloud at that, the idea so foreign and absurd that it was hilarious. Yumi clutched the bag in one hand and tightened her grip on Horthe's arm, this time digging her nails in on purpose.

(V)

The others waited beside the elevator, still breathing heavily from their dash through the sewers. They looked up as Horthe and Yumi came in. Ulrich raised as eyebrow as he noticed Yumi's brown-plaid skirt and baby blue top that she had hurriedly covered herself with. None of them had ever expected her to have an outfit like that.

He caught her gaze and she blushed beet red but refused to look directly at him again, clearly upset.

The computer genius gave them a half-smile. "That was quick. We just got here. Well, let's go see what we can do about X.A.N.A.."

They all piled into the lift (a tight squeeze) and went down to the lab. Jeremy ran over to his console and turned it on. He sat there, staring slack-jawed at the lines of code running across the screen.

"Uh…Aelita? You'd better come here and tell me what you can make of this."

The pink-haired girl walked over and gaped as well as she caught sight of the monitor.

"What has X.A.N.A. _done?_" she gasped. She reached out to touch the screen almost to assure herself it wasn't a dream. "It makes no sense."

As if by magic, the strange code vanished and the regular screen appeared. The gang exchanged several looks as though curious to see whether anyone else had noticed the strange occurrence. They gulped, wondering if it was safe to go to Lyoko.

"Well, there's really nothing we can do except go," Yumi said.

Jeremy tapped a few keys. "Maybe we should just transfer one person to see if it will work correctly."

Odd stepped forward, completely serious. "We all need to go right now. The clock is ticking and we only have so much time."

The boy in glasses inclined his head toward Horthe. "What about…_her?_"

"We _all_ need to go," he repeated more forcefully.

Jeremy stared at him for a long moment before saying, "Fine. Everyone get down to the scanners. I'll have to do this in two rounds: the girls first, boys second. Now get going."

They left and he closed his eyes, concentrating. "Samantha, I know you can hear me," he whispered. "Please answer! It's Jeremy. Where are you?"

She replied snootily back at him, giving him zip. Luckily, Lyoko's scanner picked up her form in the Forest Region. He typed in the coordinates and had just finished transferring his friends and Horthe to the virtual world when lights all over the factory went dead.

Jeremy sat there looking at the softly glowing screen while Lyoko's globe hung suspended in the air behind him. It seemed okay, but what was wrong with the lights? Had X.A.N.A. gone after the power plant again?

"Jeremy! Jeremy!" Ulrich's voice came over his headset.

"I'm here. Something happened to the power."

"Uh…I have a little problem. My weapon is missing."

**New poll! New poll! Which CL episode do you think was the best and _why?_**


	6. Weapon Shuffle

**8-6: Weapon Shuffle**

**Well, as you can see by the title, they didn't actually lose their weapons. For the most part, that is.**

(((-6-)))

Ulrich looked for his sword and couldn't find it. He was beginning to panic when he felt something on the other side of his belt. The samurai gawked as he looked down.

"Yumi, this is _yours!_" He held out the folded fan painted with pretty pink flowers to her.

She didn't say a word to him, but tried to snatch it out of his fingers. As she touched it, sparks flew and they were both sent flying in opposite directions! Ulrich hit a tree and Yumi smashed into Odd. As her right hand touched him, more sparks threw them apart.

She picked herself up, staring at Ulrich with confusion and ire. "_What _just happened here! I want my fan!"

"Well, **_I_** want my Laser Arrows but I can't get them, now can I?" Odd said derisively as he pointed to the conspicuous purple glove on the hand that had touched him.

Aelita inspected her belt to which five pairs of ninja stars were attached. She fingered them thoughtfully. "Jeremy, what do our profiles say?"

He sounded worried. "Nothing at all. Everything checks out. There _must_ be some mistake! Maybe X.A.N.A. is disguising it somehow, but nothing appears to have been changed."

Behind the disarrayed gang, Horthe stood watching quietly. She looked the same as she did on Earth except that her clothes were slightly different and there were light pink swirls on her cheeks. She levitated off the ground slightly to look at the trees around them. The evening light made everything darker and more foreboding.

While they were still arguing, the dark-skinned girl noticed a shadow pass over them and ducked instinctively. All conversation ground to a halt as a **_humongous _**Hornet hovered overhead. Samantha came closer to Horthe and the gang, almost curiously.

Her initial contact with Jeremy resulted in a barrage of stinging insults in his direction and then she threw up a mental wall that prevented any further dialogue between them.

Now she lowered as close to the forest floor as she was able, all ten wings beating at different rates to keep her aloft. The wind pushed them back against the trees and only Horthe seemed to be able to resist it.

Samantha caught sight of her counterpart instantly and gave a baffled buzz. The two were linked in a way almost like Jeremy's telepathic connection, but stronger. They stared at each other, both seeing themselves. Their thoughts intermingled and clashed in an exchange with a very explosive outcome.

(V)

X.A.N.A. snapped back in astonishment. When he had lost communication with his Pawn, he had pressed all his influence upon the human. She had been shocked and frightened, but his suave persuasion and a few charismatic mental images won her over to his side at last.

But now the Warriors had returned and fallen into his trap…except that someone was with them who should not exist. Should be dead! And there was a wall between them that prevented communication, which made her his foe.

This anomaly could cause his plans to be twisted askew if given the chance. The human was speaking with her. If they got the chance to understand one another, it was the end for him. He commanded his giant Hornet to attack, telling her that the one resembling her was a trick of the enemies.

The remaining Warrior on Earth was alone and helpless. Though it stretched his powers very thin, he managed to send her a little gift that would get rid of her permanently.

X.A.N.A. also sent Megatanks to take care of the other pesky Warriors, but his orders bounced back and belatedly he remembered that when Pawns were activated, he was only able to utilize the corresponding monster.

A swarm of Hornets virtualized nearby, waiting further instructions.

(V)

Samantha felt X.A.N.A.'s warning flare in her head and heeded it directly. Pulling back, she fired a laser at her counterfeit self, but the other was too quick and avoided the blast by taking to the air. She shot poison after the little pest, all of it missing completely as she was consumed by blind rage. She did not notice that where the acid touched the digital forest floor, it began to eat away the ground! The gang barely managed to evade a splatter that tore holes straight through a tree trunk right behind them.

Jeremy was frantic. "Parts of the platforms are vanishing from my hologram! Samantha's poison is tearing the place apart! Oh, just great. The only path toward the tower has been destroyed! She just took care of it."

The geisha turned to her friend. "Aelita, do you think you can make a bridge?"

"I'll try." The pink-haired girl dropped to her knees and hummed, but there was no echo of her voice that indicated any power behind it. She opened her eyes, mystified. "It's gone. I can't use my Synthezation!"

"What are we supposed to _do!_" Ulrich demanded. "The only way is blocked and we can't make a bridge, _plus _Samantha has gone psycho on us and Horthe is keeping her occupied."

Aelita glanced up at the two opponents zipping around between the tall trees. Her brow furrowed and she had an idea. "Do you remember when Janika first came and the ground shook so violently that we couldn't walk?" They nodded. "We climb the trees."

With that, she tossed a pair of Janika's pilfered shurikens at each of her friends and the teenagers used them to rise above the dead end on the ground. Odd seemed to be the best at it (due to his feline characteristics) and as he held the weapons, he couldn't help but wonder if she was all right.

Then he heard a buzzing in the distance.

(V)

Janika forcefully came back to herself through an ocean of fear and pain. Her arm was on fire and the barest move sent waves upon waves of new, fresh pain exploding all over her brain. She realized there were people standing over her. The only one she could recognize was Jim.

Wait, they weren't standing over her. They were _carrying _her on something flat. To where? What had happened? Why wasn't Odd with her?

Jim was talking to her but she couldn't understand a word he was saying. It all ran together like some alien language. A blonde woman appeared. Was that Nurse Dorothy? Janika couldn't be sure. She started talking too, but once again it was nothing but garbled sounds.

Nurse Dorothy helped move Janika onto something softer and she began to make sense of what she saw around her. It was the infirmary, for sure. No other place on campus was this white. The pain in her arm slowed to an aching throb of fiery needles and the dark-haired girl began to feel slightly safe.

Then she saw it. Or _him_. There by the medicine cabinet, hovering over a bottle, his gaseous form leering evilly at her. And he was gone.

The nurse's words still weren't clear, but her actions were. She picked up a sterilized needle and reached into the cabinet for the very bottle X.A.N.A. had infected. She drew the fluid into the needle and walked toward Janika.

**Another cliffy! (does evil voodoo dance and sings:) You'll just have to waaaaait till I updaaaaate! Well, here we go. How about this one: so far in the TV series, which kid is the best warrior on Lyoko?**


	7. New Code

**8-7: New Code**

**The summer job is really tough. Approximately two chapters left to go. Stay tuned!**

(((-7-)))

They had hardly reached the pathways among the foliage when X.A.N.A.'s swarm of nearly twenty Hornets descended upon them with deadly precision. Aelita snatched the ninja stars back from her friends and threw them unprofessionally at the approaching enemies.

Odd raised his arm automatically before realizing he didn't have his Laser Arrows. Two shots hit him in the chest while he was trying to figure out what to do.

Yumi saved him as she aimed carefully and fired his weapon. He gave her a dirty look as she got both Hornets bull's-eye on the first try. "Beginner's luck," the blonde boy muttered sourly.

"Just go hide somewhere until we need you, Odd. You aren't much help without a weapon."

He was about to make a smart remark and refuse to cooperate when a laser flew past his face. "Uh…I'll just be right over there." He scurried off toward Aelita and grabbed one of Janika's shurikens to attack the Hornets.

Ulrich himself was making little progress with the fan. He couldn't seem to aim it at his enemies. Yumi gritted her teeth as she saw him miss a third time and get hit by a laser for his trouble.

Swallowing a bit of her resentment toward him, she called out, "Throw it like a Frisbee, not a baseball!"

His brow furrowed for a moment before he realized what she meant and then he dodged as two Hornets zeroed in on him. His new tactic sliced them clean in two and he shot an appreciative grin Yumi's way, but she only glared at him before turning back to destroy a trio of troublesome bugs.

Down below, a game of Tag was in order. Samantha continued flying and shooting acid at the agile doppelganger, not noticing that her corrosive goo had struck a large trunk squarely across the base. The wood was consumed immediately and what remained was not enough to support the huge bulk of the virtual tree.

High above the forest floor, the canopy began to tremble and groan. Aelita felt the whole tree tilt slowly as something disturbed its balance. She threw one of her last stars at a Hornet, slashing off three of its larger wings, which sent it spinning off into the deep shade of the trees below.

She spared it a smug smile, saying, "It's wonderful not to be helpless." Then she remembered the danger they were in. "Yumi! The tree is falling!"

Her friend barely had time to look up before the trunk finally snapped under the unbearable weight. The ground pitched to the side suddenly, throwing everyone on their faces. The Hornets flew out of the way, except for one that got caught in the branches and was squished as the falling tree collided with the one beside it.

Odd grabbed Aelita and threw her onto the stable platform ahead of them while Yumi took a flying leap, making it to safety. She glanced back and saw Ulrich hanging from a branch in the broken tree. The large trunk was too heavy to stand where it was and continued to slip below the canopy.

Her anger abated instantly as she saw him in danger. "Hold on, Ulrich!" she shouted, hoping he would. She had to get out there somehow and help him.

The tree jerked suddenly, shaking the desperate Warrior from his grip on the branch. As he was thrown free of his only lifeline, Ulrich's eyes found Yumi's and locked on.

She shut her eyes, concentrating. A red aura surrounded herself and the samurai, suddenly holding him suspended in midair. The tree finally split and collapsed, the wide branches missing Ulrich by a couple meters. The Japanese girl drew him close with her Telekinesis and Odd reached out to help his friend to safety.

He panted, kneeling on the path. "Thanks Yumi. That fall would have hurt."

Her gaze grew stony and distant again. "We just needed you here. Samantha's on the rampage and that squadron of Hornets won't be easy to beat once they regroup."

Odd stepped between them. "We've got to hurry up, then. Who knows what's going on back on Earth."

(V)

Janika saw Nurse Dorothy carry the deadly needle of X.A.N.A.'s venom toward her and struggled, but the result was blazing fire up and down her broken arm. The pain was so intense that she let out a gasp and began spouting incoherent gibberish mostly in screams.

Jim placed a restraining hand on her to keep the green-eyed girl still, but she was beyond scared now and she felt her control slipping away as Bloodlust surged through her veins. The last threads of her sanity unraveled once more and the fearsome being of raw anger and animal instincts broke free.

The gym teacher tore his hand away as Janika's teeth sank into it. Her pupils had narrowed into slits and she lunged for him again. The beast-girl threw herself away from the people around her, ignoring the screaming pain that the merest movement inflicted upon her, though the broken arm was luckily in a sling.

Words—_noises!_—passed between the humans—_enemies!_—as she growled and snapped at them, fervent to keep them away from herself. She wasn't sure how long she could keep them at bay, there being so many, but she would try—_oh, she would try! _

(V)

Jeremy reloaded Yumi's arrows using Odd's profile and it appeared to work. The Hornets weren't much of a problem now that his friends had adjusted to the sudden shock of having new weapons. Hopefully it would work out for them.

But he had other things to do. He'd finally gotten a lock on part of the strange code that had disrupted the link to Lyoko. Everything in it was warped and disarrayed. Luckily he knew how to break it.

He checked on his friends from time to time as they finished off the remaining Hornets and ran along the treetops toward the red-rimmed Tower. They were just descending the trees when Jeremy finished cracking the code.

The first few lines confused him as he translated it. Strange. Apparently Aelita's job to deactivate the Tower had faltered, giving way to an aperture that could be filled by almost anyone who entered the Tower. But why would X.A.N.A make that possible? He wasn't foolish. This was an open wound to him. There must be something else to justify such an action…

Then he found it. For a couple moments he just stared, then he couldn't make a connection to Lyoko fast enough to warn them.

"Aelita! Aelita! Don't go into the Tower! There's a self-destruct command in Lyoko's programming that will delete you if you put in the code!"

They stopped instantly, standing undecided before the Tower. Aelita connected with the interface, appearing on Jeremy's computer screen. She surveyed the code he had translated and agreed on his assessment, but not entirely.

"I _have_ to deactivate the Tower, Jeremy. There's no way I can avoid that."

"You'll be deleted! Aelita, if you do that, you're going to _die!_ I won't let you do this and neither will anyone else."

"He's right," Odd concurred. "We won't let you into this Tower. Mainly because you don't have to deactivate it."

For a moment everyone just stared at him, wondering what he was high on. The panther-Warrior himself knew the instant he had seen with his Anticipation was nearly upon them.

Before he could open his mouth to explain, a loud buzzing sounded behind them, coming rapidly closer. They turned around to see Horthe and Samantha flying straight at them!

**This chapter perplexed me for a little while b/c I couldn't decide whether or not to add the bit w/ Janika or just leave that hanging. It didn't really say much, so it was pointless except to fill up empty space, but you get my drift.**

**Let me try a different kind of poll: I've read a couple versions of Sissy being added to the gang (usually as a nice person) and I was curious to see what kind of Lyoko Warrior you guys think she might be (appearance or weapon or Special Ability). _I know I'm gonna get some flamers for this poll!_**


	8. Remember Me

**8-8: Remember Me**

**Most of you did answer the poll w/ a gracious response and I thank you. Thank you also to those few that refused to play a part in such a ridiculous survey that probably would have given you nightmares. I hope no one besides myself suffered from them. Sorry for the wait. Hope you like it.**

(((-8-)))

Horthe flew darting between the trees at breakneck speed. Up ahead she saw a Tower glowing red. That must be the bad one her friends had spoken about. Samantha was right behind her, always there despite all the tricks and maneuvers the Pawn could muster. She saw the others outside the Tower arguing among themselves about something.

Suddenly they looked up and saw Horthe followed closely by a very, _very _upset Hornet. Odd turned, his eyes widening with alarm, and he opened his mouth to give a warning cry. But instead of a shout, he let a single bass note hang in the air. It magnified and echoed among the trees as Aelita's stolen Synthezation he had unintentionally invoked took effect.

Samantha felt her wings grow heavy and solidify as if they were being incrusted with lead. Unable to remain in the air, she crash-landed into a tree and lay there without moving, appearing unconscious.

Everyone held their hands up against their ears. Yumi cautiously removed hers, staring at Odd with surprised disgust. "So _that's_ why you never went into choir," she surmised.

"I didn't see _you_ prevent Samantha from pulverizing us all!" he retorted hotly (and a bit hoarsely).

Horthe settled down beside the Warriors and smiled encouragement to them, but their expressions were not very uplifting. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

The computer's operator quickly summed up everything he had discovered about the Tower and Aelita's approaching deletion.

Horthe stood there silently, thinking. "I believe I understand what it is that my…what _**X.A.N.A.** _has done." She stared sorrowfully at them as though a weight was crushing down on her shoulders. "Remember me," she whispered almost vulnerably.

Without any warning, she ran into the Tower. The others cried out in astonishment and rushed forward, but Odd stopped them with an out-thrown gesture. "Jeremy said there are gaps in X.A.N.A.'s new programming that allows any one of us to deactivate the Tower. Horthe will take Aelita's place, saving her."

(V)

Horthe floated to the upper level and placed her hand on the panel. It displayed her name, accepting it readily. The dim lights of the Tower flickered and a voice appeared in her head. The Pawn paused as she was faced with the screen for the code.

_You could survive and do anything you want, daughter! I know you enjoyed living, did you not? Is life worth living for someone such as yourself?_

He had never called her 'daughter' before. Something about the word made her long for him to say it again. "I have never felt alive before… This…has been the most wonderful thing, Master."

_Then why not continue to live your life? I cannot believe that with so much happiness before you, you would simply give it all up for nothing._

No. She wouldn't. Horthe continued to hesitate before the console.

(V)

Dorothy pulled the needle away from Janika's skin, the deadly poison rushing through her veins. She was too weak to resist or scream anymore. This was finally the end for her, trapped alone without her friends to comfort her. Without Odd.

A strange drowsiness sapped all her energy, preventing her from speaking. Burning spread from her arm throughout her body. _Hurry, Aelita!_ she screamed in her mind.

(V)

Horthe lowered her head, eyes closed. "Master, you are mistaken. I cannot give up something that never belonged to me. Humans will not be able to survive under your rule. They are so naïve—so _simplistic_—that the world from their point of view is incredible! I'm sorry, Master, but you are wrong and this must be done."

The Pawn's eyes turned a lovely shade of pink as she remembered again the beautiful aromas of Earth and her Warrior friends, then she entered the code…

(V)

Janika blinked in surprise. She was standing in front of Odd's closed door. Had Aelita done it or was this just a hallucination caused by X.A.N.A.'s serum?

The door opened and Odd burst out, nearly bowling her over in a bear hug. "Are you okay? I didn't want to leave you, but I had to. Your arm is better now? No broken bones?"

She embraced him in sudden relief. He sounded so concerned that it was cute. "I'm fine. I don't remember going back in time, though. I guess I passed out when X.A.N.A. tried to pull this stunt on me. I'll tell you about it later."

Ulrich hung back in the dorm for a moment before pulling out his phone and dialing Jeremy's number. After a short whispered conversation, he joined the other two as they headed, once again, toward the art show.

"Maybe this time it won't get busted up by a lunatic with wind-powers," Odd said, fingers crossed.

They were nearly to the gym when Ulrich caught sight of Aelita and Jeremy dragging Yumi forward. He approached them and the Japanese girl angrily wrenched out of her two friends' grips.

"I have nothing to say to him," she said with a glare.

"Come on," he sighed as he took hold of her arm and pulled her away behind the gym. The others smiled at each other and went inside. Once they were safely hidden where no one would see them, Ulrich let go of her and concentrated on his clones.

They split off on either side of him, dressed in regular clothes and wearing blank expressions. The original Ulrich stumbled back, nearly overwhelmed by the amount of energy it took to make his copies. "See?" he managed to gasp.

Yumi stood staring at him and the pair of clones. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"First of all, you wouldn't listen. And second of all, I'd rather show you. It makes more sense this way."

She surprisingly chuckled. "It would _only_ make sense to me and the others. I wonder what Sissy would do if she saw three of you."

"Well, I know what she'd do if she saw _two_ of me," he smirked. "Can we start over now? Go to the art show and enjoy ourselves?"

"Fine. And I apologize for almost not saving you in Lyoko."

"_What!_"

(V)

"Odd, do you remember the story of the princess trapped in a tower by an evil wizard and a knight came to rescue her?" Janika chattered as she pulled him through the crowd.

"Er…not really. Is that what your painting is about?"

"Of course, except that the characters are _leeeetle_ different. There it is!" They rounded the corner and saw several pictures with blue ribbons, and one in particular.

Odd stared at hers for a few seconds, a grin creeping across his face. "Cute. I like it. Is that really how muscular I am?"

"Dream on, Romeo. See that bird on the branch outside the tower window? I ran out of red paint and had to use pink for the eyes, which makes it look kind instead of evil. Sound familiar?"

The blonde boy knew what she was getting at. He and Ulrich had explained Horthe's unexpected transformation earlier and she had only laughed about it.

Odd sighed. "I wonder if she really got deleted. She didn't deserve to die."

"Hey Odd!" a voice spoke up from behind. They turned to see Samantha beaming benevolently at him and he tensed. "Is this your girlfriend?" She sidled closer and whispered in Janika's ear, "You'd better make sure this one doesn't get away. He's a real keeper."

She surveyed the artwork on the wall, mostly staring at Janika's painting. "Nice. I especially like the bird. Interesting touch. Well, I just dropped by to say hi, and now that I've done it, I'll let you two get back to your little tête-à-tête." **(A/N: that's a French term for "private conversation between two people")**

Odd stared after her as though he had just seen her head change into a flowerpot. That was _definitely _not the Samantha he remembered.

As the dark-skinned girl walked away, she wondered why she had just glibly given up someone she had fully intended to make miserable a few minutes earlier. For some reason it no longer appealed to her. She wanted to have fun instead now. And golly! She'd never paid close attention to the way things smelled before. They were really fascinating.

As she passed under a light, it cast a reflection on her dark eyes, turning them almost a cherry shade. "I hope you never forget me…" she murmured before joining her friends.

**Ok, I need some help here people! I want to know what you guys think of a water Pawn and how she would use her powers against the gang. I've got the person she'll possess, so don't worry about that one. Whoever helps me gets a Mouse from Mt. Limbo!**


End file.
